Leaders slip as Lewry makes up for lost time

Chris Adams, who led Sussex to their second championship title in four seasons last September, obviously felt he made the right decision when he made a rapid U-turn back down to Hove last autumn after agreeing to become Yorkshire's captain and director of cricket.

The Sussex captain most certainly made the right decision at Headingley yesterday, when he asked Yorkshire to bat first after a day-and-a-half of a potentially fascinating top-of-the-table encounter had been lost to rain. With plenty of swing available, Yorkshire had little answer to Sussex, who reduced the championship leaders to 26 for five before eventually dismissing them for just 139.

First to go was Craig White to Jason Lewry for an eight-ball duck, whereupon the left-arm swing bowler turned accomplice when he picked up a smart catch at third slip off Rana Naved-ul-Hasan to send back Anthony McGrath. And 15 for two rapidly became 16 for four when Younis Khan and Jacques Rudolph, who have shared five first-class centuries this season, mustered a mere single between them.

All the while, Joe Sayers was proving to be an immoveable object, but even the gritty left-handed opener had to depart when he was leg before to Naved-ul-Hasan for two, which was eked out from 44 balls. Gerry Brophy and Adil Rashid restored a little respectability with a sixth-wicket alliance of 51 before Ajmal Shahzad and Deon Kruis added 44 for the final wicket. But Sussex, who raced to 40 without loss from just eight overs before the close, will have been thoroughly delighted with their half-day's work.

At the Rose Bowl, third-place Durham made excellent progress against troubled Hampshire - who were bowled out for 232 after resuming on their overnight 160 for five - before being pegged back late in the day. Liam Plunkett, who has a point to prove after being dropped by England, and Mark Davies shared four of the five remaining Hampshire wickets to fall.

In reply, Michael Di Venuto smacked 17 fours and a six in a 137-ball innings of 124, but four wickets from Shane Warne helped to reduce Durham from the comfort of 210 for one to the uncertainty of 250 for eight.

Brad Hodge put some miserable form behind him to help Lancashire to a healthy 451 for five declared against Kent at Old Trafford. Hodge, whose seven previous championship innings this season had gleaned just 123 runs, cracked an unbeaten 156 from 200 balls. In reply, Kent closed on 14 for no wicket.

Jim Troughton was the main provider for Warwickshire, who extended their first-innings total to 343 against local rivals Worcestershire at Edgbaston. The left hander made 109, his third championship century of the campaign, before being caught behind off the on-loan Kyle Hogg. Worcestershire closed on 77 for the loss of Phil Jaques.

In Division Two, leaders Nottinghamshire were again frustrated by heavy rain, which led to a second successive blank day against Derbyshire at Trent Bridge. Only 31 overs were possible at Northampton, where an unbroken seventh-wicket partnership of 66 between David Sales and Steven Crook steered Northamptonshire to 171 for six against Leicestershire

Rain also disrupted proceedings at Lord's, where Essex lost their last three wickets for 25 runs to be bowled out for 376 by Middlesex, though that was riches indeed after the visiting side had been reduced to 97 for six on Friday. Middlesex progressed to 74 for three either side of a flurry of heavy showers.

Andy Caddick returned an outstanding seven for 30 as Somerset routed Gloucestershire for just 121 at Bristol. Marcus Trescothick claimed five catches in total, but it was not quite such a fruitful day for Trescothick the batsman. He was leg before to Carl Greenidge for a first-ball duck before Somerset advanced to 158 for three and the likelihood of a substantial first-innings lead.